Tinapos na ng California Labor Commissioner's Office ang $5.5-million settlement laban sa Adat Shalom Board and Care Inc. kaugnay ng wage theft lawsuit para bayaran ang naagrabyadong 148 caregivers, na karamihan ay Filipino immigrants, na nagsilbi sa anim na adult care facilities sa Los Angeles, California.
Anim na oras lang umano ang binabayaran sa mga caregiver kada araw kahit na araw at gabi ang pag-aalaga nila sa mga nakatatandang nasa healthcare facilities.
Naipamahagi na sa mga manggagawa ang paunang $2 million payment na bahagi ng kasunduan.
Nagsimula ang imbestigasyon noong June 2017 kasunod ng ulat ng labor law violations mula sa Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), na nagresulta para maglabas ng $7 million citations sa inireklamo noong 2018.
Iniapela ng Adat Shalom Board and Care Inc. at owner-operator nito na si Angelica Reingold ang citations, na pinagtibay naman noong 2021.
Kasunod nito, naghain ng Labor Commissioner's Office filed ng lawsuit para baligtarin ang improper transfer of assets na naging daan sa $5.5-million settlement.
Ayon kay California Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower, "For years, the employer paid these caregivers less than three dollars an hour and attempted to avoid liability by hiding assets. Our team took the employer to court to stop the illegal transfer of assets."
"My office is committed to collecting owed wages from employers engaged in wage theft and stopping these illegal practices. This settlement also secures an agreement by the employer to no longer operate a residential care business in California," dagdag niya. — FRJ, GMA Integrated News
